So I got to my computer this afternoon after enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend and saw all these emails from marketers about the new year. Some were about trends and business and such. But then I read one from Mario Brown that I thought was interesting. In summary, his intentions are to…
1) Stay authentic and keep integrity
2) Move away from WSOs and product creation and go offline and do small business consulting for $997/month (just the example he gave)
He also advises that you join or start a mastermind group that will help keep you accountable to your business.
What I liked was his intention with the message. He shared what he wants to do and why. So I thought I’d do the same thing.
I’m in agreement with Mario on point 1. Keeping integrity is paramount. I’m not going to preach about it or say I am the example of it. I’ll just say how much his first point resonates with me.
What I most likely won’t be doing, is going out and grabbing offline clients.
I’m not saying this isn’t an awesome business. It is. It’s satisfying a huge need in the market AND it’s a growing service area.
SERVICE area.
It’s just not for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my customers, but I don’t have any “clients” for a reason. One of my favorite parts about Internet Marketing is the freedom that comes with it. I wouldn’t give that up to essentially work for other people (that’s how I see it). Also, in my mind it is too much of a time commitment – if you are the consultant on every case and you’re not outsourcing, it is not scalable, and you will run out of time in the end. And if you end up working too much and not enjoying life, no amount of money is worth that effort. I just spoke to a friend tonight at dinner who has 60 clients she does web design and marketing consulting for. And guess what, she’s looking to get out of it because – why? – she works too hard and can’t enjoy her passions.
So, I’ve decided I’m going to continue what I’m doing. Except I might make less WSOs and products in general.
My focus is going to be on “what has worked.” My year has been highlighted by my success in Email Marketing and SEO. And when I look at the situation, Google has changed quite a bit. But the only thing that has changed with email is my bottom line when I add more subscribers. My tactics stay exactly the same, my customers stay very happy, and my income increases. Wait, one thing does increase as well – my Aweber subscription cost! But I will gladly pay Aweber an extra $100 a month if it means I’m making an extra $5000.
So from me, you will probably see more of the same. I’ve got a very top secret email marketing project that is so new that I can’t even give details. But if it works out the way I am hoping, it might be the biggest thing in email marketing since… email! 
And I promise, I’ll be divulging all the details once it’s the right time. Of course, if I do make more training materials, you won’t be disappointed. **If you haven’t seen Email Marketing Revolution yet, just click the banner link at the top of the page.**
I have other goals as well. I want to continue to diversify, not only in marketing methods, but also in niches. It’s important not to rely on once source for your entire income. And when it comes to email (goal-wise), I’d really like to reach that “super-affiliate” status – but not by being cheesy and lame, but by being cool and providing awesome value to the marketplace: = you guys. I still don’t want to be a guru.
I will continue to be a great informant for solid marketing methods. Of course, SEO will be at the top of the list. In fact, my first recommendation will be this SEO info product. It’s about saving a BUNCH of time and money on backlinks! But just to walk my walk, you will get more info in an email (coming very soon)!
In 2011, I’m also interested in video, mobile, Facebook, offline/small business consulting, monster commerce sites (Ebay, Amazon), Pay Per Call, blog use, and other important or trending (IMO) methods. Regardless of method, I’m still interested in helping people conduct smart business, make fast cash, build a sustainable income, and/or grow their existing business. Ultimately, bringing VALUE to the marketplace is my number one priority.
I hope everybody had a great holiday and I wish you much success in 2011!
Please comment below on your New Year’s IM intentions!
